tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210636362018-03-06T03:15:25.162+01:00SilenceAnnotations on life.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.comBlogger250125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-2461798875954298162014-04-13T16:52:00.000+02:002014-04-13T17:16:06.638+02:00How to be normal - a guide to earning people's approval<b><br /></b><b><br /></b><b>1.</b> If you're single, look for a relationship, and profess to people that you <i>do</i> have a deep longing for a soul mate. Without one, you will always be incomplete.<br /><br /><b>2.</b> Engage in a monogamous, preferably heterosexual relationship. Don't have a LAT relationship, or if you do, at least miss him <i>all</i> the time.<br /><br /><b>3.</b> Be jealous and possessive. These are perfectly justified, and indeed positive attitudes in a relationship.<br /><br /><b>4.</b> Want children. Two or three. If you don't feel the urge yet, profess the belief that you definitely will soon. You're not a real woman if you don't want kids.<br /><br /><b>5.</b> If you live together with your partner, don't share your home with any housemates. Being okay with living with people that are not a) your partner or b) your kids, is for students only.<br /><br /><b>6.</b> Don't be satisfied with the home you have. You want a more expensive, bigger home, even if you already have too much space to hoard stuff in, and even if you're sure the sky-high mortgage will give you severe financial anxiety for the next 30 years. It's worth it.<br /><br /><b>7. </b>Have a TV in the living room, and preferably one in the bedroom as well. This really is one of the most important things on this list. It's okay if you're too busy to ever turn it on, or if you prefer to watch films on your laptop... &nbsp;having no TV is just too weird.<br /><br /><b>9.</b> If you have no dishwasher; want one, constantly.<br /><br /><b>10.</b> Use furniture that is actually made for the purpose. E.g., a <i>real</i>&nbsp;bed, not a futon. A <i>real</i>&nbsp;table, not an up-turned crate. You don't want people to think you're a creative soul. Or poor.<br /><br /><b>11.</b> If you have kids, buy them rooms and rooms full of toys, preferably made from cheap, garishly-colored plastic. Choose these toys such that each toy invites to be played with in only one way - don't leave anything to the imagination. Shop for girl's toys in the girl toy section of your local toy store (think pink!), and shop for boys in the boy's section. Anything else is child abuse.<br /><br /><b>10.</b> Don't use fruits, fresh or dried, as treats for your kids. Fruits are not treats. Your kids are not rabbits. Don't force your healthy lifestyle on those innocents.<br /><br /><b>11.</b> Try to work on your career as much as possible <i>and </i>raise kids at the same time. Really, one is not more important than the other (although a career can't be as easily outsourced...)<br /><br /><b>12.</b> Be someone who "eats less meat than most do" (meaning, not every single day of the week). Being a flexitarian is pushing it.<br /><br /><b>13.</b> Shop 'consciously' as long as a) it's not more expensive, b) it doesn't cost you more time, and c) your peers don't think caring about things is lame. Really, as long as you avoid any information about where your stuff comes from, you won't know, and therefore, you're technically not responsible.<br /><br /><b>14.</b> Make a full time job a top priority. It really doesn't matter what you do, whether you like it, or what effect it has on other people. And you don't just want to have a job, but a career, where you can 'grow' and 'develop your professional skills' (i.e. earn more money next year).<br /><br /><b>15. </b>Buy a car as soon as you can afford it and tell everyone public transport sucks. In comparing the two transport methods, don't count the two hours you and your car spent stuck in traffic every day.<br /><br /><b>16.</b> Don't have ideals. Ideals are scary.<br /><br /><b>17.</b> Have an opinion about current affairs, but make them strong, shallow, unsupported by any rational argumentation, and focused on the bad effects the issue will have on your own personal life. Where groups of people are concerned, the most important thing is to categorize and stereotype.<br /><br /><b>18.</b> Refute claims based on years of scientific research, in-depth experience or logical argumentation by simply saying you know better. If people refute your baseless claims, say that what they're saying is just an opinion. Especially when they're really citing years of scientific research, in-depth experience or logical argumentation. When using this approach in an online discussion, be sure to use enough pejoratives.<br /><br /><b>19.</b> When people ask you how you are, answer in a two-word affirmative. Adding an example of something trivial but vaguely meaningful you did yesterday is optional but always a good idea. You wouldn't want to ruin a good friend's day by actually telling them how you feel, would you?<br /><br /><b>20.</b> If someone expresses an interest in what you're doing these days, tell them if you have a full-time job yet, and if you're moving up in it - because that's really all they mean to ask.<br /><br /><b>21.</b> Talk to people about what you did in the previous week (a good topic is the new stuff you've bought) and whether you have holiday plans yet. After that, turn to gossip, TV-shows and soccer. If you <i>have </i>to talk about the real things that are on your mind, your most heart-felt passions and interests... keep it under 2 minutes. You don't want to force someone to pretend that they care any longer than that - it's rude.<br /><br /><b>22. </b>Pretend to remember people's birthdays. It doesn't matter if you're just congratulating someone you haven't seen in three years because Facebook told you so, it's the right thing to do. Nothing shows how much you care like knowing at which day of the year they continued life ex-utero.<br /><br /><b>23.</b> Have respectable hobbies and interests, suited to a grown-up. Don't read fantasy or sci-fi after the age of 15. And for Pete's sake, don't put on a costume. For any reason whatsoever.<br /><br /><b>24.&nbsp;</b>Follow the fashion appropriate for your socio-economic class, but in a semi-nonchalant manner. Don't be the first to try out new things you've seen in magazines. Rather, play it safe and copy your friends.<br /><br /><b>25.&nbsp;</b>Spend a lot of money on a gym membership so you can run and ride a bike indoors. It's classier and conveys more status than doing the same thing outdoors, for free.<br /><br /><b>26.&nbsp;</b>Pets are for serving your own wants and needs, however trifling. Only buy young, cute-looking pets. Don't keep a pet when it turns out you need to spend more time than you thought training them or adjusting them to a new situation. Shelters are great places for getting rid of your pets and so many people will want your pet that surely she won't be killed due to a chronic lack of space. So don't feel bad about that. And certainly don't keep defective pets. It's better to tell yourself euthanizing is more humane, than having your dog running around perfectly happy and mobile in a dog-wheelchair that will actually require you to spend some money on the well-being of a creature you've professed to love and care for (the thought alone...).<br /><br /><b>27.</b> When you're visiting someone and your host asks you what you'd like to drink, never ask for just water. No matter how sociable, talkative and fun you'll present yourself to be in the next 3 hours, it will never be enough to prove that you actually are good company. Also, show your host you're eating at least some of the snacks. It's impossible to be a sociable person without eating the snacks.<br /><br /><b>28. </b>Judge someones abilities (and how much respect you should give them) primarily by their outward appearance. Everybody knows that when you want someone to do a job that mainly involves them using their brains, it's better to discriminate based on suits vs. dreadlocks, than on what actually comes out of that person's mouth when they open it.<br /><br /><b>29. </b>Order from the menu.<br /><br /><b>30. </b>Don't knit weird hats and wear them.<br /><br /><br />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08596735673191354902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-9895577609033246612013-01-17T20:34:00.000+01:002013-01-17T20:38:05.302+01:00RookpolitieIn mijn kleine bruine stamkroegje in Naarden mag vanaf heden niet meer gerookt worden. Tot voor kort mocht het wel - niet van de wet, wel van de waard - maar alleen in het gedeelte bovenaan de trap. Als je in het benedengedeelte zat, merkte je nauwelijks iets van de rook. Een anonieme klager voelde zich echter toch in zijn of haar rechten beperkt, en contacteerde de Rookpolitie. Gezien de waard liever niet failliet gaat aan de steeds hoger wordende boetes, zijn rokers vanaf nu aangewezen op het 'rookhok', dat noodgedwongen 1-persoons is vanwege het ruimtegebrek. Ik vrees dat ook de waard zelf zich meermaals per avond in deze telefooncelachtige constructie zal moeten hijsen, wat ongetwijfeld een erg tragikomische scene oplevert. Met de nadruk op tragisch.<br /><br />Persoonlijk heb ik noch van roken, nog van niet-roken last. Maar ik begin wel een beetje last te krijgen van de prioriteiten die in dit kleine landje gesteld worden. Begrijp me goed, als mensen anderen willens en wetens schade berokkenen, of blootstellen aan het risico daarop, dan vind ik dat moreel fout. En dat mag hard afgestraft worden. Maar alleen, als die anderen <i>ongewenst </i>risico lopen. In een ziekenhuis of op een schoolplein, daar rook je niet. De mensen die daar komen hebben een dringende reden om daar aanwezig te zijn, en meestal weinig alternatief. Maar een kroeg bezoeken, dat doe je uit eigen vrije wil. En er is genoeg keuze en concurrentie om ervoor te zorgen dat als er een markt is voor kroegen waar roken niet toegestaan is, die kroegen er zijn. Vraag en aanbod. En anders trek je thuis een wijntje open, ook leuk.<br /><br />Als er iets is dat mensen ongewenst schade berokkent in kroegen, dan is het alcohol, niet tabak. Buiten een kroeg heb je geen last van rokers, maar soms wel van overmatige drinkers. En de schade wordt ook een stuk abrupter toegebracht; met de vuist of met de bumper. Geen verhoogd risico op longkanker, wél je gebroken schedel op een stoeprand.<br /><br />Natuurlijk zijn dit uitzonderingen - als je tenminste naar de juiste kroegen gaat, en daar is mijn stamkroegje er zeker een van. Alcohol is niet verboden, het is je eigen verantwoordelijkheid totdat je laat zien dat je niet met die verantwoordelijkheid kunt omgaan. Als we alcoholgebruik op deze manier reguleren, dan zeker ook tabaksgebruik.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08596735673191354902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-70648860369295115792012-12-08T11:25:00.001+01:002012-12-08T11:42:22.177+01:00Wat maakt het verschil?Een buitengewoon groot aantal (al dan niet zelfbenoemde) chimpanzee-experts lijkt een mening te hebben over de vraag of chimps nu zoveel overeenkomsten met ons vertonen, of juist zo verschillend van ons zijn. Laatst stond er zelfs een betoog in de krant waarin de schrijver waarschuwde dat het toch een gevaarlijke tendens was, dat biologen de overeenkomsten tussen chimp en mens zo vaak benadrukten. Juist in deze tijd moeten wij mensen ons speciaal kunnen voelen, om zo onze obstakels te kunnen overwinnen!<br /><br />Wat mij vooral opvalt is dat het veelal&nbsp;<i>lijkt </i>alsof men met elkaar in discussie is, terwijl men in werkelijkheid volledig langs elkaar heen praat. Het is als het vergelijken van een gele cirkel met een geel vierkant. "<i>De overeenkomsten zijn groot</i>", zegt expert 1, "<i>de kleur is exact hetzelfde ongemeleerde lichtgeel.</i>" Waarop expert 2 zich geroepen voelt in te brengen "<i>dat er juist significante verschillen tussen de twee vormen bestaan, zoals dat het vierkant maar liefst vier hoeken heeft terwijl we aan de cirkel tot dusver geen enkele hoek hebben kunnen ontdekken.</i>" Van argument en tegenargument is geen enkele sprake.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D5grrfr_H6c/UMMLkwSjm0I/AAAAAAAAAC8/QXx-_IN9MNc/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D5grrfr_H6c/UMMLkwSjm0I/AAAAAAAAAC8/QXx-_IN9MNc/s1600/Untitled.png" /></a><br /><br />Als we mens en chimp vergelijken, wat zijn dan de&nbsp;<i>relevante </i>verschillen en overeenkomsten? Dat hangt natuurlijk volledig van de vraagstelling af. Maar juist aan die vraagstelling gaat men vaak voorbij. Filosofen die zich bezighouden met dierethiek besteden wel veel aandacht aan het zoeken van de juiste vraagstelling. Peter Singer beargumenteert dat bij ethische vraagstukken de vraag moet zijn, of het onderwerp kan lijden. In hoeverre het onderwerp op zijn achterpoten loopt of piano kan leren spelen, dat is volgens hem in dit geval irrelevant. Hij volgt daarin de invloedrijke Britse denker Jeremy Bentham, die in 1789 al schreef: "<i>The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?</i>" Als we vanuit dit oogpunt mens en chimpanzee vergelijken, zien we veel overeenkomsten: beide kunnen lijden. Andere filosofen menen dat de vraag moet zijn, welke wezens een zekere inherente waarde hebben, waardoor zij niet alleen maar als 'means to an end' gebruikt mogen worden. Hoe het ook zij, er wordt uitgebreid aandacht aan de vraagstelling besteed.<br /><br />Het belang van het weten wat de vraag is, wordt briljant geïllustreerd in het science-fiction boek 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' van Douglas Adams. Een ras pandimensionale wezens zoekt naar de zin van het leven, het antwoord op de ultieme vraag, en programmeren een supercomputer om dit uit te rekenen. Na 7,5 miljoen jaar spuugt deze Het Antwoord uit: '42'. Waarop de galactische filosofen zich beseffen dat ze niet zo goed weten wat de De Vraag nu precies inhoudt, en zonder deze kennis Het Antwoord niet begrijpen.<br /><br />Voor gedragsbiologen, neurologen, of psychologen kan de vraagstelling natuurlijk geheel anders zijn als voor ethici. Maar het moge duidelijk zijn dat je alleen over het juiste antwoord kan discussiëren als beide kanten dezelfde vraag stellen.<br /><br />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08596735673191354902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-28145947436825083412008-02-16T13:55:00.002+01:002008-02-16T14:07:29.150+01:00Foolishness<span style="font-size:78%;">Growing up, I always considered the accusation of naivety to be one of the worst insults, but now I am having second thoughts. Perhaps life without a little naivety isn't really lived. If we would always follow logic, how could we experience all those things that take a leap of faith? Life is full of risks, and to take them we need hope - which is nothing but believing in a long shot.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Living is believing, trusting people, taking chances, surrendering to love, chasing dreams. In life, we'd better all be fools.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-26139717540561657532007-12-17T19:02:00.000+01:002007-12-17T21:09:29.403+01:00When you're out of sight<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/R2bSlBy1LOI/AAAAAAAAASw/mdKMBOERdok/s1600-h/umbr.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145031157895998690" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/R2bSlBy1LOI/AAAAAAAAASw/mdKMBOERdok/s200/umbr.bmp" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Under this national rain cloud</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>I'm getting soaked to the skin</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Trying to find my umbrella</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>But I don't know where to begin</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em></em></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>And it's simply irrational weather</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Can't even hear myself think</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Constantly bailing out water</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>But still feel like I'm gonna sink</em></span><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>'Cause I'm under the weather </em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Just like the world</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>And I need somebody to hold</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>When I turn out the light</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>You're out of sight</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Although I know that I'm not alone</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Feels like home</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">- "Under the Weather", KT Tunstall</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">This song reminds me of those days that are tough without a reason. Days during which I feel a little sad, a bit insecure, somewhat 'under the weather' - emotionally speaking. I take it we all have days like that. Personally I've noticed this feeling is often accompanied by a rather desperate need of acknowledgement and attention. I know there are plenty of people who are there for me, but I'd just like a little proof - right at that very moment.<br /><br />But when I'm feeling down it's hard to chase off the sense of loneliness. Nobody starts a conversation with me. I look at my phone but I can't make it ring. People's replies seem short-spoken somehow. Are they starting to dislike me? Have they noticed how I need their kindness and care, how pathetic I really am? I can't help but to think it.<br /><br />"Hey, d'you still like me a bit?"<br /><br />Of course the last thing you should do is beg for it. But an itch demands a scratch. "Why wouldn't I?", he asks. As casually as possible I reply I'm just checking. The concise judgement; "Well, I still like you."<br /><br />Right. Let me explain, men and other rational creatures, what the secret message behind the phrase "Just checking" is in this particular situation. It means, I need you to tell me that you miss me, that you wish I was in love with you, that I'm important to you, that you want to cuddle me, and that I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that you will always be there for me. Something heartwarming. It has all been said before, but I need to hear it now.<br /><br />Friends, suitors, drinking buddy with your flattering text messages in the middle of your drunken night... will you be merciful and give me a kind word today?<br /></span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-70644676115167754432007-11-23T15:28:00.000+01:002007-11-23T16:27:03.671+01:00Butterflies<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/R0bvo8FvJkI/AAAAAAAAASo/XoDj1Qs_hDI/s1600-h/butterfly-hart.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136055911666624066" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/R0bvo8FvJkI/AAAAAAAAASo/XoDj1Qs_hDI/s200/butterfly-hart.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Sometimes when you look back on a situation, you realize it wasn't all you thought it was. A beautiful girl walked into your life. You fell in love. Or did you? Maybe it was only a childish infatuation, or maybe just a brief moment of vanity.</em> - Henry Bromell</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The butterflies of infatuation can be deceiving little rascals. I am tempted to believe it is the only way I've known them so far. If love is blind, having a crush on someone is losing your senses completely - making me feel very much impressed about someone who's really not that wonderful at all, but actually rather plain, or worse. And I can only see it afterwards, at which point I thank the heavens above for being completely unable to seduce men at the snap of my fingers. </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I dislike being unsettled in such a way. To me, this thing we call 'falling in love' (for lack of a better expression) is meaningless and silly, consumes all my attention, and always seems to be heading for disappointment. At one point I just had enough. Well, it wasn't the first time I realized that, but suddenly something odd happened. It stopped. </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I have to admit that being in control of my butterflies is great in many respects. But it also gives rise to a somewhat peculiar situation; feeling deep affection for someone but not being 'in love'. Everything is like it's supposed to be, but the feeling is different. Not less than what it should be, just different. </span><span style="font-size:78%;">Why don't I just fall in love, you ask. And I wish I could be completely deluded, as blind as a bat again.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-13078475334469218962007-11-21T12:09:00.000+01:002007-11-23T16:35:04.169+01:00Nothing beats losing<span style="font-size:78%;">Often it's hard to fully realize what you have until you lose it. As long as life is going smoothly you're never forced to stop and think about it, but when life gets tough you remember how easy it used to be. I try to realize how lucky I am, though, to appreciate the good things that come across my path. But nothing beats losing.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Something good was there for the taking, but I was not quite sure if I wanted it. So I doubted, and postponed making a decision. But right after the very moment I did decide to go for the gold, it all started to fall apart. I did decide, didn't I, or is that just what it seems like in retrospective? At times I only want something when I am about to lose the possibility of gaining it, as I see the last bit of light peeping through the closing door.What is beyond my reach attracts me more; the pattern repeats itself.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Life can be unyielding. You struggle with it, you try to bend it your way, but it just won't. As if everything is conspiring against you. Some believe that when you really want something, life will help you get it. At the moment it feels like the opposite is true.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I can't have it, so I want it back. Maybe that doesn't classify as real desire.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-19476560272821729442007-11-10T17:19:00.000+01:002007-11-21T13:00:19.476+01:00An open book<span style="font-size:78%;">A few days ago I met a man who knew all kinds of things about me. We had never talked before, but </span><span style="font-size:78%;">simply by interpreting my body language he was able to pinpoint my key character traits. I knew myself quite well, he said. If I tried my best I could really get somewhere. Then he pointed to some boys and a young woman near by and told me what the differences were between myself and those people. "You are happier than most people here in this pub," he said, "why is that?"</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The whole conversation was quite remarkable, and it would have been creepy if I wouldn't have felt like I'd known him for ages. This man wasn't some obscure oddball. In fact, he was a rather imposing big black man who'd been a high-up in some company, before quiting his job eight months ago to become a stay-at-home dad. "Reading" people had been very important in his former function, he explained. I was amazed all the same. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Perhaps we are less mysterious to the outside world than we tend to think; we communicate subconsciously by sending out all sorts of non-verbal signals. B</span><span style="font-size:78%;">ut few of us are able to pick up these signs in such an effective manner.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-50638581329403690942007-11-03T11:21:00.000+01:002007-11-03T11:38:27.801+01:00The evolution of consciousness<span style="font-size:78%;">Usually, though not always, complex things develop out of simple things. Some branches of life developed a nervous system, then a brain, and at some point some brains were complex enough to develop the notion of an inner world. They were able to process more information than necessary for their survival. The increased chance of survival would have been the cause for their increased brain capacity. To be able to answer the question “How do I get my next meal?” in the best way possible is very useful in surviving. And surviving means that the genes responsible for those superb problem-solving skills have a chance to be passed on to the next generation.<br /><br />But being able to ask yourself “Who am I?” and “What is this consciousness thing anyway?” does not increase your chance of survival. Seen from the perspective of evolution, this form of reflective thought is an utterly useless byproduct of the complex brain. Yet we cannot help but to seek answers to our questions. To solve problems is in our genes, it has always been rewarded. In need of answers, we developed our philosophies, religions, and indeed science. I am not trying to say that these, and many other products of the human mind - tradition, art, modern society - are meaningless or redundant. They are unique and valuable. What we tend to forget is that worth is a subjective, human notion. </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Evolution is just simple logic; the organisms best fit for survival and reproduction pass on the genes that made them that way. There is nothing valuable about natural selection, no good or bad results, no direction. Just logic. Therefore, I will not assert that finding your next meal is more important than finding the answer to the question of what consciousness is all about. Just that the success rate is higher.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-8353026769906769152007-11-02T19:48:00.000+01:002007-11-02T19:52:06.048+01:00Buddha and Dylan<span style="font-size:78%;">According to an important Buddhist scripure, the Dhammapada, on one occasion the Buddha spoke: </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>"Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think."</em><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Twenty-five hundred years later, in a 2005 interview on US newsmagazine 60 Minutes, Bob Dylan said: </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>"The picture you have in your mind of what you're about, will come true."</em></span><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">In many ways, people from different countries, cultures, and times think very much alike.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-33942616053251067282007-10-27T16:13:00.000+02:002007-10-27T16:34:08.926+02:00Blog no. 2<span style="font-size:78%;">As from today, Silence has a baby sister. This doesn't mean that Silence is coming to an end of course, there is simply a difference in the style and choice of subjects between the two blogs. <a href="http://getjip.blogspot.com/">Getjilp</a> ('chirping') will be less philosophical, more down-to-earth - hence the grass - and written in Dutch. Anyone is welcome to read and comment.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-36271055828386776382007-10-24T15:06:00.000+02:002007-10-26T16:16:16.496+02:00Waves<span style="font-size:78%;">The last few months I have been following my first philosophy class, on theories of consciousness in Eastern and Western thought. In order to define the essence of consciousness, many questions need answering, such as:</span><br /><div><ul><li><span style="font-size:78%;">What is the relationship of consciousness to thought?</span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;">Can consciousness itself ever be known?</span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;">Does consciousness mirror reality, or does it create reality?</span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;">Where and how does consciousness arise?</span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;">What is a person, how is the self related to consciousness?</span> </li></ul><p><span style="font-size:78%;">At the end of the course I wrote an essay regarding my own point of view on the subject. The thing is, I have only a very vague opinion about the subject, and personally I don't mind keeping it that way. My answer to the questions above have little meaning, since there are numerous other explanations as valid as mine. But as I was writing the essay, I did form a theory about consciousness and the self. I used the metaphor of an ocean to describe what consciousness might be like (it was only afterwards that I stumbled on similar, though not identical metaphors on the internet) and I noticed that this image gave rise to some interesting ideas. Just a little thought experiment - the following is an excerpt from my essay.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">What is the relationship of consciousness to thought? Descartes and others thought that consciousness underlies thought, as if it is the stage on which plays are performed. But perhaps thought does not need to occur on a substrate. I am more inclined to agree with the so-called mosaic model, the view that consciousness does not differ from thought, but instead is built up of thought. Without thought, there would be no consciousness at all. I must add, however, that I do believe one can be conscious without consciously thinking - the concept of consciousness must include a state of no-thought. In such a state, there is no complete absence of thought, but one would not experience actual individual ideas and emotions. Thought would be undifferentiated and calm, as an ocean without waves.<br /><br />In investigating the true nature of consciousness, one of the first questions that should be posed is whether it is even possible to succeed in this aim or not - a question related to the one I have brought up in the introduction of this paper. If consciousness underlies thought, how can one know it? Knowing is an ability of the mind, which would be absent during the state of pure consciousness. The stage would be empty, the actors no longer present to contemplate what is beneath their feet. However, if we assume that consciousness is the sum of all thoughts (conscious and subconscious), the question is wether or not knowing can know itself. I will not set this possibility aside, but it would require thought to be like the still ocean. As there would be no active thoughts one could only know one’s pure consciousness subconsciously. When we think about ourselves, we think about the waves breaking on the shore. This is only a small part of our self, of the consciousness that we are, but it is the only part that we consciously know.<br /><br />In this metaphor of consciousness, conscious thought is symbolized by waves breaking on the shore. Reality itself is the cause of these waves at the edge of our consciousness, and influences their behavior. One could say that this narrow strip of active consciousness mirrors reality, but it does not directly observe it. Reality stretches out far beyond the coast, to lands the ocean will never be able to conquer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125646394132227506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RyH0PRaDZbI/AAAAAAAAASA/_-e1if1Rr8I/s400/Waves.jpg" border="0" /></span></div>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-80297217896524054712007-10-21T16:49:00.000+02:002007-10-21T19:44:04.121+02:00I don't need anyone, part 2<span style="font-size:78%;">We are lucky in many ways, and we know it. Of course we know it. But isn't it hard to really feel it? The gratitude. In the words of Aldous Huxley, most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted. Most of us have never been crippled, or blind, or deaf. When we were young our parents told us to clean our plates, because "the poor orphans in Africa have nothing to eat at all". Broccoli! Spinach! They'd be over the moon. </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">On the one hand one could say we don't compare ourselves to other people enough because in general we don't seem to realize how lucky we are. On the other hand we compare ourselves to others way too much. </span><span style="font-size:78%;">Often I feel it's not enough to be good. If I would get, say, a 60% score on a test, the score of the other participants would matter to me. If everybody else fails with very low scores I'd feel lucky to have passed. If the majority gets much higher scores than me, I'd feel dissapointed. I don't just want to be good enough. I want to be better. Why?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I've also noticed that whatever is beyond my reach attracts me more. For some reason, sometimes it's not enough to have one good thing if the next thing is out of reach. Sometimes it even feels bad if I can't have something I don't want in the first place. Sometimes I just want to have what <em>they</em> have. To have something that satisfies <em>their</em> standards, not just mine. Sometimes I want to impress people who's opinion doesn't really matter. And sometimes I'm just jealous. I am deeply ashamed to admit it, but those are my weaknesses. Hold it against me if you want.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I see what I have. I see which choices are right for me and what I ought to want. I know it... but sometimes I just don't feel it. I guess I do have my disadvantages after all.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-33656769443074658282007-10-21T15:40:00.000+02:002007-10-21T19:46:48.527+02:00I don't need anyone, part 1<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RxtlDA1zLJI/AAAAAAAAAP8/sJEEqMfErvg/s1600-h/23106672.jpg"></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Ernst van der Pasch is a Dutch cabaret artist. The following lyrics are his - the song is called 'Ik Heb Niemand Nodig' and can be downloaded <a href="http://www.ernstvanderpasch.nl/cd.html">here</a>. It's not very amusing (I like Ernst's show although I do not find it very humorous) but rather very serious and profound. I'd like to use this song as an introduction to my next post, and I'd also like to recommend the other work of Ernst van der Pasch to any Dutch visitors.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Ik heb geen manke nodig om te weten dat ik kan lopen<br />Geen blinde om te weten dat ik kan zien<br />Zonder hopeloze kan ik hopen<br />Ik heb niemand nodig<br />Hooguit jou misschien</em><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I don't need a cripple to know that I can walk<br />Don't need a blind man to know I can see<br />Without someone hopeless I can hope<br />I don't need anyone<br />You at most, perhaps<br /><br /><em>Een dove man verstaat me niet<br />Een vrijgezel verlaat me niet<br />En door een gek weet ik nog niet meer dan ik weet<br />Een zwerver maakt mijn huis niet groot<br />Een dode vriend laat mij de dood niet beter begrijpen dan ik zonder hem al deed</em><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">A deaf man doesn't hear me<br />A single won't leave me<br />I do not know more than I know because of a madman<br />I don't have a big house because of a homeless person<br />Because of a death friend I do not understand death better than I already did<br /><br /><em>Ik heb geen zin meer om te kijken naar de zwakken<br />Om te zien hoe goed het met me gaat<br />Waarom zou ik mij nog laten zakken<br />Waarom zou ik als nu blijkt<br />Dat er niets boven me meer staat<br /></em><br />I don't feel like looking at the weak anymore<br />Just to see how well I'm doing<br />Why would I lower myself any longer<br />Why would I when it turns out<br />That there is nothing above me anymore</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-92074037617574843332007-10-14T17:01:00.000+02:002007-10-18T09:55:24.897+02:00Bright world<span style="font-size:78%;">A delicate autumn day in October. In the afternoon, some sunshine started to break through the clouds above south Amsterdam. Very modestly, as befits autumn sunshine. The avenue that connects the university grounds to the student district was lying peacefully beneath four rows of impressively large trees, dropping their leaves one by one. No hurries. Metro trains whooshed by every few minutes, but in a very modest way.<br /><br />Somewhere along the east side of this avenue we found a park of humble proportions. I would say it was about 600 metres in length, fit for a short stroll. At the other end we sat ourselves down on a bench, next to a fairly unmoving and old lady, and discussed the many great and small questions of life. Where cinnamon comes from. How Bonobos solve all their problems. Why big birds tend to be mean. How ethical it would be to name your child after a Sesame Street character. You see, Big Bird is not only light blue in the Netherlands, he's also called Pino. And no, that wouldn't be very ethical.<br /><br />I picked up one of the hundreds of fallen leaves lying at our feet and held it to the sunlight. A thin leaf with a fine network of veins and an incredibly warm tone of orange brown, perhaps only hours away from curling up and shriveling. And we just looked at that little leaf together, amazed about the arrangement of veins nature had been able to design. Millions of years of evolution, of trial and error, of natural selection on tens of thousands of generations, resulting in the pattern on this unassuming little leaf. Nature may never before have found such an efficient way to distribute plant juices evenly across a flat surface.<br /><br />Many things need time to fully blossom. Plants need sunlight, water, nutrients. Some things feel right from the start. But perhaps it'll only get better.</span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5121244597962615922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RxJQ1A1zLHI/AAAAAAAAAPs/pR0FcYlAfms/s400/veins.bmp" border="0" />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-55843886223803373932007-09-25T17:51:00.000+02:002007-09-25T20:05:34.160+02:00Cogito ergo sum<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RvlMzHkA6NI/AAAAAAAAAPk/s8GJEhpFsXU/s1600-h/180px-Meditationes_de_prima_philosophia_-_Renatus_Cartesius.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114203292943050962" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RvlMzHkA6NI/AAAAAAAAAPk/s8GJEhpFsXU/s200/180px-Meditationes_de_prima_philosophia_-_Renatus_Cartesius.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Meditation II: On the Nature of the Human Mind</em> is part of <em>Meditations on First Philosophy,</em> a philosophical treatise by René Descartes published in 1641. I read this short text a few days ago because I am participating in a philosophy course about the subject of consciousness. After reading some extensive and, to my humble eye, rather vague discussions regarding Vedic philosophies of Hinduism - not my piece of cake - I was struck by the clarity of Descartes' writing. Some excerpts.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>"I suppose, accordingly, that all the things which I see are false (fictitious); I believe that none of those objects which my fallacious memory represents ever existed; I suppose that I possess no senses; I believe that body, figure, extension, motion, and place are merely <strong>fictions of my mind</strong>. What is there, then, that can be esteemed true ? Perhaps this only, that <strong>there is absolutely nothing certain</strong>."</em></span><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">"But [as to myself, what can I now say that I am], since I suppose there exists an extremely powerful, and, if I may so speak, malignant being, <strong>whose whole endeavors are directed toward deceiving me</strong> ? </span></em><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Can I affirm that I possess any one of all those attributes of which I have lately spoken as belonging to the nature of body ? After attentively considering them in my own mind, I find none of them that can properly be said to belong to myself. To recount them were idle and tedious. Let us pass, then, to the attributes of the soul. The first mentioned were the powers of nutrition and walking; but, if it be true that I have no body, it is true likewise that I am capable neither of walking nor of being nourished. Perception is another attribute of the soul; but perception too is impossible without the body; besides, I have frequently, during sleep, believed that I perceived objects which I afterward observed I did not in reality perceive. Thinking is another attribute of the soul; and here I discover what properly belongs to myself. <strong>This alone is inseparable from me.</strong> </span></em><em><span style="font-size:78%;">I am--I exist: this is certain; but how often? As often as I think; for perhaps it would even happen, if I should wholly cease to think, that I should at the same time altogether cease to be. I now admit nothing that is not necessarily true. I am therefore, precisely speaking, only a thinking thing, that is, a mind (mens sive animus), understanding, or reason, terms whose signification was before unknown to me. I am, however, a real thing, and really existent; but what thing? The answer was, <strong>a thinking thing</strong>."</span></em><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">And the Wachowski brothers were inspired. Strikingly, at one point Descartes even writes, <em>"and yet what do I see from the window beyond hats and cloaks that might cover artificial machines, whose motions might be determined by springs?" </em>And indeed, what do we see? What do we really know? The question and its answer are simple and clear, but nevertheless 'greatly disconcerting' - or at least, that is how the great philosopher felt. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Read the whole Meditation <a href="http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Meditations_on_First_Philosophy/Meditation_II">here</a>.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-31009430666345378742007-09-22T14:32:00.000+02:002007-09-22T15:53:55.755+02:00A common identity<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RvUaH3kA6LI/AAAAAAAAAPU/f7t3iKlAR1U/s1600-h/hands.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113021674425477298" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RvUaH3kA6LI/AAAAAAAAAPU/f7t3iKlAR1U/s200/hands.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">I fell in love with the sweet sensation</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">I gave my heart to a simple chord</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">I gave my soul to a new religion</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Whatever happened to you?</span></em><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">- "Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n Roll?", Black Rebel Motorcycle Club</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">For centuries, the identity developed by adolescents was solely influenced by their families and the communities they lived in. Their values - their entire life - was shaped by their family's class, religion and age-old culture. Children were tought to be like their parents. It was really not that long ago that young people started to share their beliefs and ideals with other young people. Social movements became the new ideologies and defined new cultures. Flower power, Generation X. You name them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;">Let's take a look at Western society today. How can we define the current youth culture? When I discussed this subject with some fellow students, somebody suggested that we would only be able to say afterwards - because we do not have any references for comparison. But on the other hand, other generations do. Our philosophy teacher grew up in the sixties and was happy to give her opinion. She says (and I agree with her) that she doesn't recognize any common identity in today's young people. This in contrast to the time when she was our age.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">If there was one common characteristic I had to attribute to 'my generation', it would be individualism. Its not just that we're all very much concerned with ourselves (as are most people), we also search for answers by ourselves. We construct our own ideologies, values and religions, combining whatever fits us best. At the same time, there does seem to be a desire to share our identity with others, to be part of a group. But apparently this desire is not strong enough to produce more than small-scale, temporary hypes. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go as far as to say identity has become subject to fashion. If Buddhism or youth churches gain popularity, the idea obviously reaches more people, who might 'try it out'. But how often do we find what we're looking for, and stick to it? </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Most of us - not just young people, but a very large group of people of all ages today - will probably never completely call off the search. We have become seekers. Maybe that's the defining common factor. We are free to choose, but can't seem to find the right choice. We are all essentially looking for the same thing, but our search is nevertheless a lonely one.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"Do you think the time of massive social movements will ever come back?", one of her students asks. </span><span style="font-size:78%;">She shakes her head and smiles. "No", she says. "It'll never be like the sixties again."</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-34327129173633614332007-09-05T19:40:00.000+02:002007-09-06T16:39:39.932+02:00A tree and a human mind<span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/Rt7qoGoisRI/AAAAAAAAAPE/bzxYRY9ezi4/s1600-h/âTree+of+Lifeâ,+Tsavo+National+Park,+Kenya.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106777002181046546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/Rt7qoGoisRI/AAAAAAAAAPE/bzxYRY9ezi4/s400/%E2%80%9CTree+of+Life%E2%80%9D,+Tsavo+National+Park,+Kenya.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Ever since man learned to see more than his eyes perceived, he has given sacred meanings to natural phenomena. This tree in the Tsavo National Park in Kenya - the so-called Tree of Life - is a beautiful example. In a forest of a thousand trees, none seems particularly significant. But one solitary tree surviving on a dry African plain becomes a symbol. Of persistence and strength, of merciful shade in the midst of a sundrenched world, and any other meaning you may wish to give it. The symbolism is not so much about the tree as it is about the human mind. I see a tree, but I can also see a connection between earth and sky, between being firmly rooted and reaching for the heavens at the same time. I can see an organism that is part of something bigger, of a whole ecosystem. It breathes out what we breathe in. Something as complex and inspiring as it is common. A place to sit for the birds. </span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-79679185340561613642007-08-23T12:09:00.000+02:002007-08-23T13:54:46.722+02:00As good as it gets<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/Rs1sa2oisQI/AAAAAAAAAO8/nhsD7HYTcGo/s1600-h/elevatorbuttons.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101853161478598914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/Rs1sa2oisQI/AAAAAAAAAO8/nhsD7HYTcGo/s200/elevatorbuttons.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">In a bus shelter on a Wednesday morning, 2 a.m.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Tell me something. We never really talk about anything.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>- What do you want to know?</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Well, I don't mean... <em>facts </em>or anything.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>- You mean, like, feelings?</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Yeah.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>- Well, I guess that lately I've been feeling that my life doesn't serve much of a purpose. It's just not going anywhere at the moment. Nothing matters. And maybe that's a good thing, if nothing matters it doesn't matter, but...</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I think it's a bad thing. You don't seem too happy with it.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>- It's just not going anywhere.</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">But that's just in your head, right?</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>- ...</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">You can't just sit around waiting for something to come into your life and make it better, make you <em>happy. </em>It's in your head. You change it. Right?</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">By that time, my brain refused to cooperate any further. I spend minutes waiting for it to produce another thought, any thought, but there was only the vague longing for a warm bed. I went home and eleven hours of blissful sleep later, it occurred to me what I was trying to say.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Boy, you're waisting your time.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">You're, say, twenty years old? A young man who doesn't look too bad, with a strong and healthy body, not missing any essential limbs or anything. Not missing any limbs whatsoever, actually. Obviously your brain works just fine too, you're studying, thinking of your future, getting somewhere. You have friends and family to support you. You're not an orphan. You're not poor. You live in one of the most prosperous and stable countries in the world. Public health care and all that. You don't have to fight, you don't have to live in fear, you never have to feel hungry. You're not blind or deaf or illiterate. You have talents and you have been given the opportunity to use and develop them. Are you getting my drift? Because I could go on like this for hours.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">That's you. That's both of us. How many of those 6.6 billion other people are as lucky as we are? Not that much. Millions of people wish they were in our shoes. For us it's just everyday life. We don't think about our luck. We're not as happy as we should be.</span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-size:78%;">And you might not like to hear this, but this may be as good as it'll ever get in your life. I know you want tomorrow to be even better, which is a good thing to strive for, but you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Even if you know exactly what you are waiting for - I doubt you do - and even if this thing is certain to make a substantial difference in your life - it probably won't - you're still waisting your time. Tomorrow, a truck driver might ignore a red traffic light and splatter your brains all over the asphalt. Crude, but true.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;">Your life may never get any better than it is right now. Just stop and think about that for a second.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">Or you might die seventy years from now, and your life may get better and better all the time. But still, you can live every day only once. The seconds are seeping away right now, you'll never get them back. So it might be a good idea to ask yourself what you really want to do today. And more importantly, how you want to feel today.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">It's all in your head.</span> </p>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-84516951847189966442007-08-09T10:40:00.000+02:002007-08-09T11:17:34.775+02:00Paper cut-out people<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RrrXq7T7h8I/AAAAAAAAAO0/DEnqm6VCi0M/s1600-h/dv041002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096623060798900162" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RrrXq7T7h8I/AAAAAAAAAO0/DEnqm6VCi0M/s200/dv041002.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">On how many pictures taken by strangers do you occur, accidentally, a passer-by? How many thoughts have been thought about you, concerning you specifically, by people that do not know you? How many of them have cursed you, admired you, laughed at you? How many glances have you missed, how many stares have you failed to notice?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Every day you leave your home, you appear in the background of the lives of hundreds of people, for just a short moment of time. They notice you - only seconds before they forget you again.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The fact that I exist in other people's lives and thoughts is something I have never truly realized. Seen from the centre of the world, strangers are no more than paper cut-outs, their minds silent, disappearing as soon as they're out of our sight. And me? In the eyes of millions, I am just another stranger.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-72575459689041062282007-07-20T18:00:00.000+02:002007-07-20T18:49:03.276+02:00Funny, Dark, Iconoclastic<p><span style="font-size:78%;">Coparck is a Dutch rock band from Amsterdam. I don't know if you can get a hold of their music, but it's worth the try. The lyrics sound like poetry. The following is an excerpt from one of my favorites, a song called 'Funny, Dark, Iconoclastic.' Also check out the official website <a href="http://www.coparck.com/">here</a> - it contains some soundclips, too, and superb videoclips.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Funny, dark, iconoclastic / Gain the world but loose the soul / Accurate forecasts, he wore a shirt with / Nostradamus says, hell / I told you / ... / so/</em></span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Glowing, gleaming, awesome splendour/I guess it's time to let things go/In former years I used to be quite indecisive but now/I'm not so/.../sure/</em></span></p>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-56063439400745822842007-07-14T14:21:00.000+02:002007-11-21T13:01:11.183+01:00Needs and wants<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RppFJTQVBMI/AAAAAAAAAOc/6w3_xrOzBw8/s1600-h/23215447.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087454755158295746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RppFJTQVBMI/AAAAAAAAAOc/6w3_xrOzBw8/s200/23215447.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Needs are simple. Fulfill them and you're alright. Fail in doing so, and you're toast. Either it's good or it isn't. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Dreams, wishes, desires - funny things. It's funny how we need them to give us meaning, goals, motivation, hope, something to be obsessed with. It's funny how we keep believing that achieving them brings satisfaction. We can't help ourselves, even though life proves us wrong time and again. And again. And again. Think of everything you wanted, and got eventually - wether it involved hard work, luck, or a bit of both. The exams you passed. The iPod you bought. Attention. Everything that has been a step in the right direction, the direction you want. With every achievement and every stroke of luck, we should be feeling happier. If only just a little bit. But do you really feel the difference?</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">People who win millions of dollars in the lottery do not get happier. They experience what we all experience when we get what we want - joy. The funny thing about joy is that it doesn't last. People who win the lottery may feel great for a week or two, but in the long term they become less happy than they were before they won their prize - in spite of all the iPods, cars and private islands they buy. You want it, you get it, you have it. There's no challenge.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">It's funny how we need desires, to want what we don't have, or can't get. Because if there's nothing left to wish for anymore, we might as well give up. That's why we keep fooling ourselves, I guess. We need to be able to strive for more, however unhappy it makes us.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-48661313440123708392007-07-06T20:02:00.000+02:002007-11-23T16:35:04.170+01:00Something, anything<span style="font-size:78%;">A riddle. You could settle for something good, and get it right now, guaranteed. Or you could wait for something that might be better, although there is a very real possibility you might not get it at all. You can't look into the future, and you don't experience any gut feeling whatsoever. Which is the better option? </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">People and making decisions, it seems to be a love-hate relationship. Choice isn't just about freedom and getting what you want; b</span><span style="font-size:78%;">y making a decision you always miss out on something. You gain, you lose. Your money or your life.You enjoy the apple pie, but don't get to taste the blueberry cake. Regret may accompany every choice, if only because you can't help but wondering how the other option might have turned out. </span><span style="font-size:78%;">On the other hand, not deciding gets you nothing. And if every option is an improvement, shouldn't you be glad for having a choice in the first place? </span><span style="font-size:78%;">No, of course not. We don't just want something better, we want the best we can get. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Decisions are vital in life. To change it, to grow in it, to make it yours. This is what I do know. Choose something, anything. You might choose wrongly, but at least you made a choice. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Here comes the long shot.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-26041148757395258612007-07-01T12:03:00.000+02:002007-07-06T20:01:50.050+02:00Input, output<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RoeVl1vFZEI/AAAAAAAAAOU/y7tSF-p9Zjo/s1600-h/black_box1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082195181823157314" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_lsOAolUDr9U/RoeVl1vFZEI/AAAAAAAAAOU/y7tSF-p9Zjo/s200/black_box1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>'Black box' is technical jargon for a device or system or object when it is viewed primarily in terms of its input and output characteristics. - Wikipedia.org</em> </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">In biology classes I took some years ago, one of the most important ideas of ethology - the study of animal behavior - was to think of an animal as a black box. The stimuli that go in and the responses that come out are the only things you can observe directly; what happens inside the 'box' has to be deduced from that. In psychology, the idea is the same. You can't see into someone's head, but you can usually get a pretty good picture anyway, just by observing someone's reaction. If I'd ask someone out to dinner, I can at least think of a number of reasons for any reaction given to that question. If he says yes, I may assume he likes my company. If he says no, maybe he doesn't like me. I wouldn't be sure, but I wouldn't be completely in the dark either.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I don't think anybody is able to show their true character to others. It's just impossible to get everything that's in, out, without being influenced by the people you're with. We want them to have certain ideas about who we are, what we are like, and as a result we show only the thoughts and feelings that agree with those ideas. At least, we try. But at the same time I think many people value expressing themselves the way they are, without holding back in fear of being disliked. It's also much easier not to pretend. To be much different from your true personality all the time wears us out quickly, I suspect.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">When I think of the people I know, they don't seem to be keeping up appearances to any great extent. Undoubtedly they all have their secrets and thoughts they do not express, but I don't believe there is a gaping abyss or a towering wall between what's on the inside and what they show to others. Though there is one person I know that does appear to be very different from what he pretends to be. He perfected his act with such skill that its shallowness is hardly noticed. Believing that I'd witnessed a few rare moments in which he dropped his guard, I was both irritated and fascinated by him. I wanted to know what was behind it all.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The people around me are black boxes. Usually I can imagine what their motivations must be. But sometimes, someone can turn out to be a mystery, and I have found this makes it nearly impossible to communicate in any normal way. I cannot interpret his reactions, I cannot see why things have changed so much. I've stopped trying, and I tell myself I might have only been mistaken in those few moments.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Most people are not that much like black boxes at all, really. I want to be anything but a black box. I want to have the courage to be honest at moments in which it is least expected. I asked someone out to dinner, and as we were sitting in front of the café, enjoying the last warm breezes of a long Spanish day, I was absolutely truthful about my motives. In return, I got trust and sincerity, and all the answers I was looking for.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21063636.post-91064431877536107282007-05-28T17:48:00.000+02:002007-06-14T18:31:25.095+02:00Falling<span style="font-size:78%;">Someone told me that swallows are as good as dead once they end up on the ground, because their wings are too long to be flapped sufficiently to take off again. Swallows always have to let themselves fall down from a high point before they can fly independently. It's like experiencing the very first flight over and over again. </span><span style="font-size:78%;">I don't know if it's a true story, but somehow it struck me as meaningful.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Likewise, the human way of walking through life is to literally let oneself fall from one foot whilst swinging the other foot forward to catch the fall. A controlled falling motion, repeated over and over again. </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I´m in Spain doing geological fieldwork right now, and it´s tiring in a physical, mental and emotional way. I feel like falling every day, from one mood to the next. There´s the mood in which I feel like flying, in which nobody matters but me. Then there´s the bittersweet sadness, loneliness that is bareable in some beautiful way. Right now I feel friendly and caring towards everyone, even though some do not return that kindness - it is like my silent protest. But I fear the mood that comes when I get tired, because it makes me see everything different, and the sadness really hurts at those moments. I know that I´ll catch my fall again, though. Over and over again. </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Someone told me it makes you stronger. Someone told me we are all on our own, and that we should therefore care about little else than ourselves. But I can´t, and I do not want to be that person all the time, even though the fall is tough. At least I have my high points to fall from.</span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223351877751872474noreply@blogger.com1